I wonder why most of our members would say they come to a forum like this? Do you come here to learn something, to have discussions? For fellowship? or some other reason?
I have found that in the years of my involvement with forums going back to 2006 that groups like this tend to attract all sorts of people. Some stay for a while and leave and others hang around for years. i started going to forums because where i lived it was very isolated as far as educated christian people and I wanted to talk to someone about the ideas and things I was thinking about the faith. I also came for the support because living the christian life can be so contrary to other lifestyles I have encountered.
I'm grateful for those of you I have met along the way. Even those of you I disagree with all the time.
Do you mean the Community Forum or do you mean CH?
I've been (way too) active at Christian discussion forums since I was 11 or 12 (so a long time), registered at MANY sites but active at maybe a dozen or so. And I've learned people come to such sites for a wide variety of reasons, and often it becomes quite apparent what that is.....
1. To convert. They have something (maybe just one point, say Six-Day Creation, Sabbaoth Worship, etc) or somethings that they hold firm and desire to convince everyone else is true. They are here to change minds. They see themselves as missionaries of their pov. These often find it easier to do this online than in person.
2. To recruit. There are here to gain members to their denomination. Some are general, they simply want to convert people to Christianity (but it's THEIR Christianity).
3. Apologetics. To defend their theology/denomination. They may not be recruiters (they may care less if you convert OR they may also be recruiters), the point is to "correct misunderstandings."
4. To teach. Similar to above, but with less emphasis on defending than on explaining; they are milder and more open to others and than apologist.
5. To learn. They tend to ask questions... they are more apt to read than post... they show an interest in other's positions.
6. To fellowship. Some Christians lack actual, personal Christian friends and so go online.... or they simply find fellowship easier online. They tend to avoid "controversy" and often rebuke debates; they want a nice, "kumbyah" milieu, they look for aceptance. They often stick to non-debate forums.
7. For support. Similar to above, but they are looking for help (generally emotional)... they have prayer requests, they may seek advise, they tell of personal issues.
There are others....
Some are VERY focused and passionate about one of these..... some not so much. Some are nearly all the above, some just one.
For ME....
I began because I was a struggling Catholic youth, looking for OPEN and HONEST discussion (often hard to do in Catholic churches/schools/groups). I wanted to discuss issues I was struggling with. To a large degree, I found that (yes, originally at unofficial sites of Catholics). Then as I was trying to find my way out and into some other denomination (it was in this stage I first came to CF). Then simply to learn about and discuss issues I care about. Now (after many years of this), I'm more broad. I'm very much still learning (although CH is not as diverse a site as I'd like for this; we're working on it)...and I am now more about apologetics but not of Lutheranism per se but of what I see as very key issues in Christianity (above all, that Jesus is the Savior). I have come to defend Lutheranism and replace misunderstandings there, but I'm not about converting people to such. And while I NEVER engaged in fellowship for YEARS, I'm now starting to. I'm more rounded today.
Why do I come here? 1) I want to learn something and return the favor. When I don't, I'm not pleased with the time I spent (I'm MUCH busier than I use to be, and my time is more precious; I'm increasingly sensitive to my time stewardship) 2) I've come to see many here as "internet family" and I care about what they are thinking/doing/experiencing; I do respect folks here. This has always been KEY to why I stay at a site: whether I've "bonded" It's what makes leaving a site very hard for me (in each case, I was largely pushed out by staff)
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uttahere: